NO Place Safe to Hide Anymore: Introducing the USAF's GBU-57A/B 'Massive Ordinance Penetrator' (MOP)

Reaganite Republican ^ | December 20, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

10x more powerful than it's predecessor, 

the 30,000 pound bomb can penetrate 200 ft 

of hardened concrete before it goes BOOM

GBU-57A/B 

Military technology has indeed created some fearsome weapons over the last few decades, from the 5,000 lb GBU-28 Deep Throat bunker buster, to the 3x larger (15,000 lb) BLU-82 Daisycutter, roughly equivalent to the Russians' 15,650 lb ATBIP (Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power). Then there's the USAF's 22,000 lb Grand Slam 'earthquake bomb' and the 22,600 lb GBU-43 MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast), which approximates the effect of a small nuclear weapon.

But provided you were able to find shelter under -say- 150 ft. of hardened concrete, none of them were going to bother you too much. Alas, a new Boeing-produced mega-bomb has as of now altered that equation dramatically...

Just last month the USAF took delivery of the first precision-guided GBU-57A/B (Massive Ordnance Penetrator).

 

The freaking thing weighs fifteen tons and will penetrate 200 ft of hardened concrete before exploding deep underground- right on top of the target.

Perhaps the first impression of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator is really how simple it looks...  it's just BIG and accurate, with a real hard point made of a special high performance steel alloy:

This weapon is intended for just one specific purpose: to destroy the type of hardened concrete bunkers which house central command facilities, enemy leadership rat-holes, and weapons of mass destruction... and to do so without resorting to any sort of nuclear weaponry.

Understandably, the MOP development program has been accelerated in recent years as concern regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions has grown- now it's ready, and just in time.

The MOP is deployed from high altitude and allows gravity to add momentum to its 30,000 pound weight so that it hits with enormous kinetic energy. The explosive power delivered is indeed 10x more powerful than it's predecessor, the BL-109.

Put simply, the MOP hits exactly where it is intended to hit with sufficient force to bury itself 200+ feet into hardened concrete... where it explodes its 5,300 pound warhead.

The MOP is designed to be carried aboard B-2s and  B-52 bombers- but the most likely platform to be employed in delivering the MOP is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, some of which have already been modified to carry two of the 14-metric-ton bombs...

The stealth bomber's features find plenty of synergies with the new weapon, too: the mostly composite B-2 has dramatically reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures, extraordinary aerodynamic efficiency, a long range (6000 miles) without refueling ... and a massive payload. It is hence a potent delivery system for the new MOP, as it is very difficult for defensive systems to detect, track and engage. 

And when it gets there with a couple of these suckers... oh, man.

Considering America's unlimited global aerial refueling capabilities, there is truly nowhere to hide anymore- all we need is leadership with the will and just cause.

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Global Security.org   Defense Industry Daily   h/t Speedunque  Wikipedia

[maine yankee]

Homeland Security is arranging a grant for the Detroit PD to obtain two of these.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[SgtHooper]

200 feet of concrete? BS. Maybe 200 feet of a concrete structure with hardened concrete outer walls.

[Reaganite Republican]

Why NOT, they’ve already got tanks!

[mdittmar]

Hmmm;)

Israel-US to hold largest-ever missile defense drill

[SENTINEL]

I could see a combination of a 15 ton penetrator 600 mph “drilling” action, initial detonation shock and pressure putting destructive heat and pressure through cracks on the far side of 200 feet of concrete.

[goseminoles]

Pretty bad ass.

[piytar]

How long until McLame teams up with obastard to cancel this program as “unnecessary” ala the F22?

[spokeshave]

Even better would be a series of these...one after another...each is electronically locked on to the previous one...first couple will soften up the impact site ...

[mamelukesabre]

I remember the first time they used a MOAB in iraq, the british media was initially reporting “the crazy yanks actually did it, THEY NUKED IRAQ!”

I laughed about that for days.

[gimme1ibertee]

To quote a line from the movie “Blue Thunder”: “...and that’s one helluva sh!tstorm in anyone’s language!”

[gimme1ibertee]

To quote a line from the movie “Blue Thunder”: “...and that’s one helluva sh!tstorm in anyone’s language!”

[beebuster2000]

i wonder what its terminal velocity is.

600mph sounds pretty fast, thats closing in on the speed of sound. can gravity accelerate an object faster than sound within a 60,000 foot drop? got any math wizards on board here? 32feet per second per second?

[beebuster2000]

intersting website to calc terminal velocity. took a guess at some numbers and came up with 527mph from 60,000 feet

http://www.calctool.org/CALC/eng/aerospace/terminal

[gimme1ibertee]

To quote a line from the movie “Blue Thunder”: “...and that’s one helluva sh!tstorm in anyone’s language!”

[SENTINEL]

I assumed 600mph forward release velocity, and enough wind resistance to conservatively thwart any additional acceleration as it approaches the speed of sound.

[gimme1ibertee]

Sorry for the triplicate post....something weird going on w/either my laptop or FR today.:/

[jimjohn]

Without any accelaration behind it, your terminal velocity is about 122 mph

[katana]

Just in time for Christmas. Christmas in Iran, that is.